Glossary
| Battels | The termly charges made to you by college. Includes accommodation, JCR levy, etc. |
| Blue | An award in the form of a jacket, or the holder of such an award, for outstanding sporting achievement at the university level. Only awarded to competitors in certain sports in the yearly match against Cambridge. |
| Bod | Short for Bodleian, the main university library. |
| Bod card | Blue university student identification card, received on arrival as a fresher. |
| Bop | College party in the beer cellar. Fancy dress, cheap drinks, and cheesy music, typically. |
| Bulldog | A nickname for the Proctors, the university security force. |
| Bursar | A college’s chief financial officer. |
| Buttery | College kitchens. Place to go to buy wine before formal or request butter/milk/tea when run out. |
| Carfax | The junction of High St, St. Aldates, Queen St and Cornmarket St. |
| Cherwell |
(1) A tributary of the Thames which runs through Oxford, common for punting. (2) The name of the independent Oxford student newspaper. |
| Collection |
(1) College exam taken at the start of term on material covered in the previous term (2) Meeting held at the end of term with your college tutor to discuss your progress |
| Coming up | Arriving at Oxford |
| Commoner | A student who is not awarded a Scholarship or Exhibition. Most students are commoners |
| Cuppers | Intercollegiate competitions in many sports. |
| Dean | Fellow responsible for student behaviour. To be ‘deaned’ is to be sent to the Dean. |
| DoS | ‘Director of Studies,’ the senior academic in college responsible for your academics. |
| Domestic Bursar | College official responsible for domestic matters: accommodation, food, security, etc. |
| Don | A professor, lecturer, tutor, fellow or academic otherwise. |
| Eights | Inter-collegiate rowing races held in Trinity Term, often ‘Summer Eights.’ |
| Entz | Short for Entertainment, organised by the JCR. |
| Fellow | Senior member of college who, with other Fellows, constitutes the Governing Body of the college. |
| Finals | The exams you sit at the end of your degree which determine your degree classification. The Second Public Examination. |
| Final Honours School | The portion of your degree after Prelims or Mods, i.e., that which is examined by finals. |
| First Public Examination | Either Prelims or Mods. Often abbreviated to F.P.E., the first university examinations you sit, in contrast to the Second Public Examination. |
| Formal | A traditional meal held on certain evenings in college. Suit or formal dress required, plus gowns. |
| Full Term | The undergraduate teaching period at Oxford. Eight weeks long, in Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity. |
| Going down | Leaving Oxford (for vacation). |
| Greats | Classics, the degree. |
| Hack | Quasi-derogatory term for a person involved in student politics or journalism. |
| Hall |
(1) The dining hall in college (2) Any meal bought in college |
| High Table | The literally high table at the end of hall where Fellows, the President and their guests dine at Formal. |
| Hilary | Often shortened to Hil or HT, the second of the three Oxford terms, running from January to mid-March. |
| Isis |
(1) The segment of the river Thames which runs through Oxford. (2) The ‘edgy’ magazine, the oldest student publication in the world. |
| JCR |
(1) Junior Common Room, the literal common room for undergraduates, one per college (2) The undergraduate body of a college. |
| John Evelyn | Named after the famous diarist, a long running gossip column in the Cherwell. |
| Long Vac | The vacation between Trinity and Michaelmas, over summer. Lasts from mid-June to October. |
| Matriculation | The formal process of admitting new students to the university. Takes place on the Saturday of 1st week in Michaelmas. |
| MCR |
(1) Middle Common Room, a common room for postgraduates. (2) The graduate student body of the college. |
| Michaelmas | The first of the Oxford terms, from early October to early December. |
| Mods | ‘Moderations,’ the examinations sat at the end of Hilary Term of first year by lawyers and psychologists, and the examinations sat at the end of Hilary Term of second year by classicists. A form of First Public Examination. |
| Ninth Week | The week after Full Term. Undergraduate exams are sometimes held in Ninth Week. |
| Noughth Week | The week before the beginning of Full Term. |
| Oxford Union | Oxford’s foremost platform for visiting speakers and debates, a debating society rather than a a student union and not to be confused with the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU). |
| Oxbridge | A collective term for Oxford and Cambridge Universities. |
| Oxford SU | Oxford University Student Union, the federal student union of the university. Not to be confused with the Oxford Union. |
| Paper | A module of your degree |
| Parents | Freshers are assigned two college 'parents' from the year above when they arrive in Oxford, one of whom is doing the same degree. These parents are supposed to help the newcomer settle in, and answer any questions they might have. Parents select their own spouses for this arrangement. |
| Pigeon Post | Nickname for the free internal mail service of the university. Simply give the Porters an envelope with a college or departmental address and it will be delivered, free of charge. |
| Porter | Vital members of college staff who are a combination of receptionists and security staff. They also know everything that goes on in college. Can be found in the Porters’ Lodge. |
| PPE | The degree Philosophy, Politics and Economics. |
| PPL | The degree Philosophy, Psychology and Linguistics. |
| Prelims | Preliminaries, Preliminary Examinations are sat at the end of the first year by those not sitting Mods. Need to pass to continue your degree. A form of First Public Examination. |
| Rustication | The withdrawal of the right of access to the land, buildings and facilities of the University, including teaching, exams and all related academic services, for a fixed period of time or until specified conditions are met. It usually occurs as a result of a major disciplinary offence. |
| Second Public Examination | Finals, as opposed to Prelims/Mods. Equivalent to Final Honours School. |
| Schools |
(1) The Examinations Schools, where some lectures and exams are held, at the end of the High Street. (2) “To take Schools” to refer to sitting finals/S.P.E, rarely |
| Scholarship | Award for achieving a First or Distinction in Mods or Prelims. Comes with a special gown. |
| Scout | College staff who clean your room. |
| Sending down | Expulsion from the university. |
| SCR | Senior Common Room; the room and the collective body of tutors, fellows and lecturers. |
| Subfusc | Formal attire worn by students and academics on formal occasions, including matriculation, examinations and graduation. It is made up of a dark suit, skirt or trousers, a white shirt or blouse and a white or black bow tie, black full-length tie or black ribbon, worn with a black gown and a mortar-board. The name derives from the Latin subfuscus, meaning dark brown. |
| Tab | Person who attends Cambridge University. |
| Torpids | Inter-collegiate rowing races held in Hilary Term. |
| The Other Place | Cambridge University |
| Trinity | The third Oxford term, in summer. From late April to mid-June. |
| Tutor | Someone who teaches a student on an individual basis or in a small group. Gives tutorials. |
| Tutorial | Undergraduates attend at least one hour-long tutorial every week, either on a one-to-one basis or with one or two other students. Students must undertake a considerable number of hours’ preparatory work for each tutorial, including background reading, essay-writing and problem-solving. Often shortened to ‘tute.’ |
| The Union | The Oxford Union. |
| Vac | Abbreviation of vacation. |
| Varsity | A competition in any field between Oxford and Cambridge. |